The invention relates generally to dough cutting and packing devices. In particular, the present invention is a dough cutting and packing device having a dough sheeting and cutting mechanism capable of pressing a dough sheet against a cutting unit, having a plurality of openings, to divide the dough sheet into a plurality of large volume dough pieces.
Devices for cutting a sheet of dough into pieces and packing the dough pieces into containers are generally known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,783 to Reid, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses one such dough cutting and packing apparatus. Improvements to the Reid apparatus are included in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,782 to Rejsa which is herein incorporated by reference. The Rejsa patent discloses an improved packing mechanism driven by a microprocessor controlled servo motor. In Reid, a retaining and releasing assembly is positioned above a center region of a cutting unit. The retaining and releasing assembly includes a plurality of retaining and releasing heads or tubes which are mounted to the cutting and packing apparatus for reciprocating movement through hex shaped cups or openings in cutting plates of the cutting unit. As the tubes move downward they contact dough pieces retained within the hex-shaped openings in the cutting plates. Vacuum pressure through the tubes allows the tubes to retain the dough pieces as the tubes move through the openings in the cutting plates, thereby removing the dough pieces from the cutting unit. Continued downward movement causes the tubes to enter the open ends of containers positioned beneath the cutting unit. Air expelled from the tubes causes the dough pieces to be deposited in the containers. The length of the tubes are graduated such that the dough pieces are deposited in the bottoms of the containers at the start of the packing operation and near the tops of the containers at the end of the packing operation.
The containers are properly positioned for receiving the dough pieces by a plurality of pairs of laterally extending, horizontally disposed upper and lower flighted augers. Empty containers are delivered to a first end of the flighted augers by a first endless belt conveyor. A second endless belt conveyor removes filled containers from a second end of the flighted augers.
An electric drive motor is coupled to a first gear box which in turn is coupled to a second gear box by a first shaft. The second gear box is coupled to the cutting unit through a first mechanical intermittent drive. The first intermittent drive allows the cutting unit to move in a step-wise manner to position successive cutting plates beneath the retaining and releasing assembly. The drive motor is further coupled to a crank through a third gear box. The crank is connected to the retaining and releasing assembly, and thereby moves the tubes in a reciprocating fashion. The reciprocating movement of the tubes is synchronized with the step-wise movement of the cutting unit so that the cutting unit only moves when the tubes are not extending into or through the openings in the cutting plates.
The cutting unit of the cutting and packing apparatus of Reid is further illustrated in-part in prior art FIG. 1. As discussed above, the cutting unit 100 is formed by a plurality of interconnected cutting plates 102 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) having a plurality of hex-shaped cups or openings 103. A sheet of dough 104 is carried by the cutting plates 102 which move through the cutting and packing apparatus in the direction of arrow 106.
A transversely extending roll 108, positioned above the cutting plates 102 presses the dough sheet 104 against the cutting plates 102 to divide the dough sheet 104 into a plurality of dough pieces 110 that are held within the hex-shaped openings 103. The dough sheet 104 is divided (i.e., cut) into dough pieces 110 by the action of the roll 108 which engages edges 112 of the cutting plates 102 which define the hex-shaped openings 103. Rotation of the roll 108 in the direction of arrow 114 is effected by the movement of the dough sheet 104 and cutting plates 102 past the roll 108. Beneath the cutting plates 102 and aligned with the roll 108 is a supporting roll 116 which supports the cutting plates 102 during the cutting operation of the roll 108. Rotation of the supporting roll 116 in the direction of arrow 118 is effected by the movement of the cutting plates 102 past the supporting roll 116.
The use of the roll 108 to press the dough sheet 104 against the cutting plates 102 and to divide the dough sheet 104 into a plurality of dough pieces 110 that are held within the hex-shaped openings 103 has some disadvantages. As can be seen in prior art FIG. 1, the roll 108 creates a dough ridge 120 in the dough sheet 104 ahead of the cutting operation performed by the roll 108. This dough ridge 120 distorts the shape of the dough of the dough sheet 104, causing the formation of misshaped or not optimally shaped dough pieces 110 within the hex-shaped openings 103 which are designed to produce dough pieces for a standard size type 204 container. These dough pieces 110 are typically trapezoidal shaped in cross section and therefore the dough pieces 110 do not completely fill the volume of the hex-shaped cups 103. Theoretically, a fully filled hex-shaped cup 103 can hold an optimally shaped dough piece weighing 62.4 grams. It is desirable for certain markets, particularly for the European market, to produce a hex-shaped opening held dough piece weighing approximately 55.0 grams. However, the prior art cutting unit 110 typically can only produce a hex-shaped opening held dough piece weighing approximately 45.0 grams.
It is evident that there is a continuing need for improved dough cutting and packing devices. In particular, there is a need for a dough cutting and packing apparatus which can produce dough pieces of greater weight than can be produced by prior art dough cutting and packing devices. The dough pieces produced should be of a desired shape so as to be aesthetically pleasing to customers. In addition, the dough cutting and packing apparatus should be capable of producing high weight dough pieces at a high rate of speed.